The benefits of cloud billing can be irresistible. Always-on availability, flexibility, elastic scalability, low cost, global reach. But with high-profile security breaches from the likes of Target, Sony and health insurer Anthem, it's understandable that thinking about turning your billing system over to the cloud could give you the willies. How can you capitalize on the cloud's tantalizing advantages while minimizing risk? Here are three things to look for in a cloud billing system you can trust.

Security and privacy certifications. The first thing to assess in a cloud billing system is the extent to which it complies with industry standards for protecting credit card data and customer privacy. Depending on your security needs, you may want your vendor to be certified in some or all of the following:

PCI-DSS: The comprehensive Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard provides detailed guidance on such aspects as vulnerability testing, data encryption, access control and security policies. A more rigorous version of the standard (v3.0) officially went into effect only last month, so go with a proactive cloud-billing vendor that's been following its prescriptions for far longer.

EU Safe Harbor: If you do business internationally, you'll want your cloud billing vendor to be certified in the European Union's Safe Harbor Principles, which safeguard customers' personal data.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996): This certification is designed to protect patient privacy and security. It initially applied only to hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacies, HMOs and other health care providers. But since 2013, it's now required of any company who handles protected health information (PHI) at any point. Accountants, physical therapists, data storage firms - even software companies that process data from wearable medical devices. In short, HIPAA compliance is rippling out to an ever-widening arena of companies.When you select a cloud-billing vendor with HIPAA certification, such as Aria Systems, you can take full advantage of the diverse payment schemes sweeping health services while meeting your obligations under HIPAA.

Security best practices. For many companies, the security provided by the best SaaS billing vendors is more than adequate for their needs. And in many cases, the security best practices these vendors follow can be more thorough and cost-efficient than the labor-intensive security measures on-premise systems require. For example, top cloud billing providers conduct ongoing vulnerability scanning and offer transparent upgrades and security patches for the latest the viruses and malware - activities that demand specialized expertise many enterprises may not have to spare, or even have at all.

Deployment flexibility. Most cloud billing providers offer only public, multi-tenant cloud environments. While that may work well for lots of companies, certain industries, such as global finance, have tighter security restrictions. So select a vendor who can offer a complete range of deployment options to match your needs - multi-tenant, single-tenant, pubic or private cloud and even hybrid environments that give you the best of both worlds: the versatility of the cloud with the heightened security of on-premise systems.

Finally, remember to pull your own weight

All billing systems carry some level of risk, whether they're in the cloud or down the hall. A vendor who employs the most rigorous security measures available can help you profit from cloud billing with confidence and peace of mind. But you must still do your share. That means being smart in your use of passwords, choosing wisely about who gets administrative privileges and instilling a culture of security awareness throughout your organization.

The Aria blog is the place for news, commentary and discussion on monetization, agile billing and IoT. We cover a variety of topics including forces of market disruption, the Monetization of IoT, billing best practices, trending news and what monetization will look like in the future. Our hope is that you’ll become better informed, be entertained and in turn share your thinking, ideas and comments.

Cloud Expo

Cloud Computing & All That
It Touches In One Location Cloud Computing - Big Data - Internet of Things
SDDC - WebRTC - DevOps
Cloud computing is become a norm within enterprise IT.

The competition among public cloud providers is red hot, private cloud continues to grab increasing shares of IT budgets, and hybrid cloud strategies are beginning to conquer the enterprise IT world.

Big Data is driving dramatic leaps in resource requirements and capabilities, and now the Internet of Things promises an exponential leap in the size of the Internet and Worldwide Web.

The world of SDX now encompasses Software-Defined Data Centers (SDDCs) as the technology world prepares for the Zettabyte Age.

Add the key topics of WebRTC and DevOps into the mix, and you have three days of pure cloud computing that you simply cannot miss.

Delegates will leave Cloud Expo with dramatically increased understanding the entire scope of the entire cloud computing spectrum from storage to security.

Cloud Expo - the world's most established event - offers a vast selection of 130+ technical and strategic Industry Keynotes, General Sessions, Breakout Sessions, and signature Power Panels. The exhibition floor features 100+ exhibitors offering specific solutions and comprehensive strategies. The floor also features two Demo Theaters that give delegates the opportunity to get even closer to the technology they want to see and the people who offer it.

Attend Cloud Expo. Craft your own custom experience. Learn the latest from the world's best technologists. Find the vendors you want and put them to the test.